With the encouraging number of one-eyed fliers with their "D", just curious as to what the largest formation is with only one-eyed skydivers. I'm still not that comfortable being around large groups in the air (109 jumps), and CReW scares me just watching it, but in two years or so, I would be interested in seeing about putting together an attempt at a record. Anyone interested?

You need to contact Jamie Sides at Chambersburg. Hell of a skydiver, I love to watch him just come screaming in for his landings knowing full well I'll never be as talented a jumper as he is. He's an AFF instructor, does video, etc. And he only has one usable eye.

i would like to get on that. I'm blind in my left eye so i make all my turns to the left. i also have mounted my camera on my good side so i don't cut out the camera hogs and film the background. i'm missing a finger, but i don't think that i can get in the group" pieces of eight".

Great response for me posting a couple of years ahead of time. I'm also a right-eyed jumper, and some peple just don't catch on why I want to be to their left on the wing. i.e. side-by-side linked, me to the inside.. We'd make a great team for a two-way.

Im really glad i found this post. I lost my eye back in 2001 when i was 17, i always thought i'd never skydive because of it but i just completed my AFF level 1 on the 10th of this month . Anyone wanna give me some tips on flaring? Nearly lost both my ankles *ouch*

Im really glad i found this post. I lost my eye back in 2001 when i was 17, i always thought i'd never skydive because of it but i just completed my AFF level 1 on the 10th of this month . Anyone wanna give me some tips on flaring? Nearly lost both my ankles *ouch*

Blind John fleming a blind jumper says: "Flare when you hear the crickets"

Blind John fleming a blind jumper says: "Flare when you hear the crickets" If you have winters like we do in Canada, The crickets fly south, so what I do is look from side to side as I come in, pretend I'm getting off an escalator, start to flare when I think I should, which is usually a bit early, hold it, wait until I think it is too late and then flare and stab. Just don't come in with your knees locked, and, be prepared to run it out. After about 100 PLFs, I can now land.

Well im rocking on with this sport called skydiving. Completed 2 AFF levels today and my instructor said it as possibly the best AFF level 3 hes done with a student. So im buzzing today :D. Also i tried sliding on my arse to land which worked really well, it was soft and i think that if i woulda ran with it i coulda made a sweet landing. Next time!

Im really glad i found this post. I lost my eye back in 2001 when i was 17, i always thought i'd never skydive because of it but i just completed my AFF level 1 on the 10th of this month . Anyone wanna give me some tips on flaring? Nearly lost both my ankles *ouch*

In the absence of crickets or other noisy insects you should look straight ahead instead of down to better judge your height. Looking down doesn't work that well even for people with depth perception (which you of course lack). That is what pilots do when landing an aircraft (I still remember my gliding instructor yelling at me when he caught me looking down instead of straight ahead during landing flare), of course it is easier when you are landing on a runway and have straight lines to help you judge convergence, but I found it works well even while landing a square in a grass field. My landings have improved a lot since then. You just have to fight the natural impulse to look straight down. Ciao.

The best advice I got for landing, other than practice your PLF's, was think of riding down escaltor on approach. I certainly don't watch my feet when I step off the escalator, and I've never fallen walking off one-at least, not when sober.. There's a point where it just looks right to step off the escalator and continue walking. That's where you need to stab down the second stage of your flare and land with a silly grin on your face.

I have developed a method that works well for me. I know where i want to put my canopy down and take note of the height of the bushes, then when coming in to land i keep looking straight ahead and now and then glance to my side at a kinda 45 degree rule just to get referance of the bushes. I've got a nice run going now

On final remember your heading (into the wind), then position over the ground, check left/right for other traffic, and then stage your flare. I started out jumping a Raven III (7 cell) and used a dymanic flare about the time the blades of grass would come into focus. The problem with that approach was that I would either flare a little to soon (PLF) or a little to late (but not an ouch), essentially I was focused on the ground instead of keeping my head moving and eye on the horizon. After the Raven I bought a Falcon 195 (9 cell F111) and practiced a staged flare and now I jump a silouette 150 using the staged flare and "flying" the canopy all the way to the ground. You just need to be relaxed and keep piloting the canopy. Practice the staged flare up high and find out where your stall point is (when the left and right side of the tail touches each other). Keep practicing up high on every jump and apply it when landing, remember Heading , position over the ground, and looking left/right for traffic (other jumpers). This will keep you from getting target fixation (the ground) and will help you find that sweet spot that you practiced up high. Also, think about taking a good canopy control course, it will help you learn what you rig can do. Let me know if you have anymore questions1